2015 Electoral-Reform Commitment

Electoral-Reform Commitment

“We are committed to ensuring that 2015 will be the last federal election conducted under the first-past-the-post voting system.

“As part of a national engagement process, we will ensure that electoral reform measures — such as ranked ballots, proportional representation, mandatory voting, and online voting — are fully and fairly studied and considered.

“This will be carried out by a special all-party parliamentary committee, which will bring recommendations to Parliament on the way forward, to allow for action before the succeeding federal election.

“Within 18 months of forming government, we will bring forward legislation to enact electoral reform.”

Committee Recomendation

The special all-party committee was indeed constituted, as promised.  It conducted its study, and reported to parliament on December 1, 2016.

In regard to a new electoral system, the committee proposed (Recommendation 12) that:

  • The Government hold a referendum, in which the current system is on the ballot;
  • The referendum propose a proportional electoral system that achieves a Gallagher Index score of 5 or less;  and
  • The Government complete the design of the alternate electoral system that is proposed on the referendum ballot prior to the start of the referendum campaign period.

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